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by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Episode Tag, Episode: s01e01 Pilot, Episode: s02e18 17 People, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-04-04
Updated: 2008-04-04
Packaged: 2019-05-15 01:44:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14781261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: Donna wants to apologize for the prostitute joke.





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**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

Return 

The light knock on his door startled Sam and he looked up expecting to see Toby. \"Donna,\" he said in some surprise. 

She motioned into the partially darkened office with one hand. \"Can I ...?\" 

\"Sure. Does Josh need me?\" 

She shook her head and stepped almost hesitantly into the office. \"No, I just wanted to ...\" 

He pulled his glasses off and stood. \"Donna? Is everything okay?\" 

She nodded, but the look on her face spoke volumes. \"Yeah. Fine. Just ...\" 

He approached her, stopping about a foot away. \"Are you all right?\" 

\"Why wouldn't I -\" 

\"Just, you know, you and Josh, you've been kind of -\" 

\"We're fine,\" Donna said abruptly. 

\"Okay.\" 

She sighed. \"I just wanted to - I'm sorry.\" 

His reaction time was a little delayed because at first he thought she was apologizing for taking a long time to get to the point. \"Wait. For what?\" 

\"For, you know, the thing ...\" 

\"The thing?\" 

She nodded, not wanting to meet his eyes and so carefully studying the hem of his shirt. \"I really shouldn't have made that crack about Laurie, especially with ...\" 

\"Especially with what?\" 

\"With Ainsley.\" 

Sam's brow furrowed. \"What does Ainsley have to do with anything?\" 

Now she almost smiled. \"Sam.\" 

\"You're not,\" he said with as much force as he'd said it to Ainsley earlier for a different reason. \"You're not saying that.\" 

\"I'm not saying anything,\" she insisted. The smile faded and she suddenly looked very tired. \"Except, you know, that I'm sorry I said that. It was wrong, and I shouldn't have done it. I was mad at Josh and - but that's not an excuse.\" 

\"Donna,\" Sam said after a moment, \"are you under the impression that I'm particularly thin-skinned?\" 

She shook her head, still reluctant to look at him. \"I know you're not mad at me - I mean, I hoped you weren't. But I - when all that happened before -\" 

\"All that - with Stephanie?\" 

She nodded. \"I felt really bad, and I -\" 

\"You're not still thinking about that, are you?\" 

\"No!\" She paused and breathed for a moment, thinking. When she spoke it was with one hand pressed to her chest. \"I don't have the right to take my frustration out on you.\" 

\"That's not what you did before - you weren't taking anything out on me, you were trying to help a friend.\" 

\"I know, but -\" Donna sighed again. \"I hated that you were upset with me, and I didn't want ...\" She spread her hands, helpless to say anything else. \"I did something wrong, and I wanted to say that, and ask you to forgive me, before I went home.\" 

\"Donna.\" He took a miniscule step closer and tried to make his voice as soothing as possible because he could see that she was really upset, and he imagined it had more to do with Josh than she was letting on. \"Of course I forgive you. And some of your frustration came from me. I mean, you were mad at Josh, but I should apologize for telling everyone about it and then teasing you.\" 

\"You teased me because I made fun of you,\" she reminded him. 

\"I know,\" he replied. \"But you made a joke about something everyone knew that wasn't a very sore point for me anymore - except for the embarrassment - and I made a joke about something that was really hurting you.\" 

\"It wasn't -\" 

\"Donna.\" 

She laughed shortly and very softly. \"Okay.\" 

\"So I'll forgive you if you'll forgive me.\" 

Her ironic laugh turned into a little smile. \"Okay.\" 

His warm smile answered hers. \"Okay.\" 

She cleared her throat, breaking the moment. \"Have you talked to your dad?\" 

\"A little.\" He turned from her and went to sit on the edge of his desk. \"We're - it's still iffy, but we're working things out.\" 

\"How's your mom doing?\" she asked softly. 

\"Not well,\" he replied just as quietly. \"But she's - she's making it through.\" 

\"I can't imagine,\" Donna murmured. 

\"You won't have to,\" Sam replied, looking at her with a fond smile. 

She frowned. \"I'm sorry?\" 

He suddenly found himself unprepared to explain that while pondering that Josh wasn't the cheating kind he'd conveniently forgotten that Josh and Donna weren't actually together. \"Um - I mean, hopefully.\" 

\"Right.\" She gave him an odd look but let it drop. \"Have you been sleeping?\" 

\"Yes, mom.\" 

\"I mean it, Sam.\" She fixed him with a stern look. \"At home?\" 

He nodded sheepishly. \"The night after we all went out, Ginger even called me to make sure I was at home and going to bed. I think Toby told her to.\" 

\"I wouldn't be surprised,\" Donna said. \"Or Leo.\" 

\"I guess.\" 

\"So you're okay?\" 

He smiled again at her unexpected caring. \"Yeah. I'm okay.\" 

\"You would tell me if you weren't?\" 

The lines between her eyebrows were adorable and endearing, as was her concern. \"I promise.\" 

Her face relaxed. \"Okay.\" She gestured toward the door with one of her trademark quirky, nervous movements. \"I should go ...\" 

\"Donna.\" 

\"Yeah?\" 

His mouth had straightened but his eyes smiled and shone in the semi-darkness. \"I'm glad you came back.\" 

Blinking back ridiculous tears, Donna nodded toward him. \"I'm glad you did, too.\" There was no question that both of them knew   
what she was talking about. 

Sam paused for a second, then held out one hand, fingers extended. She came back into the office toward him and he slid off the desk, meeting her halfway. As she came nearer she offered him a shy, embarrassed smile, which he returned as he reached for her and gathered her into his arms. He held her a touch longer than last time, rocking her gently as she had done him and stroking her fine hair with affectionate touches. He turned and pressed a light kiss to her temple, whispering, \"Goodnight. I'll see you tomorrow.\" 

\"Yeah,\" she whispered back. Hesitating to leave the circle of his embrace, she pulled back with her hands still on his arms and said, \"I said before, Sam ...\" 

He bent his head close to hers, knowing that it was hard for her. \"Yeah. I love you, too.\" 

She nodded and they shared another tremulous smile before she finally pulled away and left the office. Sam wandered back over to his desk, started to sit down, then changed his mind and shut down his laptop. He decided it was time to go home and get some rest. There would be enough time for work in the morning - for now he could use a little unwinding, email his mom, try not to think about Ainsley and whether Northampton, Massachusetts would be reporting any feminist riots the next evening. As Donna had said, he was back - and he intended to make sure he stayed that way. And if he didn't, he had the feeling Donna would. 

End.


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